Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been detained at Paris Le Bourget Airport
Telegram founder Pavel Durov was detained at Paris Le Bourget Airport, according to French media, including TF1.
The broadcaster reports that Durov was detained on the evening of Saturday, August 24, after his private jet arrived in Paris from Azerbaijan. The 39-year-old entrepreneur was accompanied by his bodyguard and an unidentified woman.
TF1 notes that Durov had been placed on France's wanted persons list (Fichier des Personnes Recherchées, FPR). The French judicial police issued a warrant for his arrest based on a preliminary investigation.
French authorities accuse Durov of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud due to the lack of moderation on Telegram. Reportedly, Durov was taken into custody. A source stated that his arrest is certain: "On his platform, he has allowed countless offenses and crimes to occur without taking any steps to moderate them or cooperate [with law enforcement]," the source said.
According to TF1's contact, the arrest warrant for Durov was only valid in France. The businessman, the source claims, was aware that he was "persona non grata" in the country, traveled little in Europe, and avoided nations where Telegram was under law enforcement scrutiny. "Today, he made a mistake. We don't know why," the source added.
Following Durov's detention, Telegram's cryptocurrency (TON), which is used for transactions within the messaging app, dropped by over 5.5%, as noted by the Telegram channel "Ostorozhno, Novosti." Soon after, Toncoin fell by 14% and continued to decline.
"Meduza" sought comment from Telegram Vice President Ilya Perekopsky, but he did not respond to the publication's inquiries in time.
It was reported in 2021 that Durov, who emigrated from Russia in 2014, became a French citizen. In recent years, the entrepreneur has been living in the United Arab Emirates.
